


Sending Out A Message

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Home and Family [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: All Ships But Stucky Are Background, Big Moments, Campy Supervillan, Domestic, Family, Feels, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, M/M, Romance, Some Plot, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2014-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-24 03:52:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2567216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A kiss on a Ferris Wheel and a big announcement lead to the Avengers assembling in a slightly different way than usual.</p><p>Otherwise known as "How Steve and Bucky Accidentally Cause Avengers Date Night"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Not Quite the Bat-Signal

**Author's Note:**

> So... you know how "Age of Ultron" makes it clear that the MCU is veering towards war, sadness and tears? The little universe I've been building since the end of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is continuing on its epic journey through the land of fluffy domestic awesomeness (with some punching and needed therapy).
> 
> And look! redtreeflowers made [art](http://redtreeflowers.tumblr.com/post/101804499397/itried-ijustfoundoutiwassuposedtomaketwopics-imdu) for it! Go see how pretty it is!

After the Jotunheim Beast made the news, Jane decided it would be better for everyone if they left town for awhile. Erik seemed like he could use some peace and quiet, and Thor really needed to be kept away from anyone with a camera phone.

So she dug through her old e-mails and accepted a spot manning an isolated little astronomical research station in Iceland that had supplies delivered by helicopter. Then, after a very interesting couple of days where they figured out how to transport the Jotunheim Beast – Erik's transporters didn't work now that the convergence was over, but between the three of them they managed to sedate the creature long enough to get him moved – they flew everyone over via a mixture of Thor and helicopter. Darcy and Ian showed up a week later, saying that London was too boring without them and they needed _someone_ who knew how to work a microwave.

The arrangement worked pretty well. Thor liked the wide-open spaces, looked smitten when she did science, and was _really_ fun to snuggle up to at night. She suspected he spent his free time flying around the world looking for evil to thwart, but since he usually waited until she and Erik were deep in science-mode she was only aware enough to protest after he got back. Then he kissed her, and she forgot she was supposed to be protesting.

"You should really just let him go and be heroic," Darcy said, raising an eyebrow at Jane even as she kept scrolling through websites on her phone. "It's very double standard of you not to let him have his career when he's so supportive of yours."

" _My_ career doesn't tempt some secret government agency to snap me up as a science experiment." Jane sighed, looking up from Erik's notes on last night's anomaly. They were as insightful as always, if you ignored the bit where he started rhapsodizing about the shape of the eggs he’d had for breakfast. "You heard what was happening with SHIELD, and after New Mexico and New York he has to be all over their files. HYDRA must be looking for every opportunity they can to get their hands on him."

Darcy's expression slid from surprise to her "awwww" face. "Okay, that's pretty adorable."

"I don't—" Flustered, she waved a hand. "I don't _mean_ for it to be adorable. I just want to keep him as safe as I can."

"Which is pretty much the _definition_ of adorable, so shut up and let me coo." Darcy suddenly looked back down at her phone, eyes wide with interest. "And, speaking of adorable superheroes in love, it looks like Captain Tight Buns has himself a boyfriend."

Jane smiled a little. "Which one is Captain Tight Buns, again?"

Darcy rolled her eyes. "I'm going to forgive you for that, since Thor has a pretty decent rear end himself and you've been blinded by love." She leaned forward, handing Jane her phone with a wicked grin. "Hey, I wonder if they met when the other guy hit Cap with his car."

"Ha ha. You're hilarious." Jane looked at the picture, which TMZ seemed to be very convinced was Captain America kissing a dark-haired man on a Ferris wheel. She'd only ever seen the Captain in the news footage of New York, and one terrible shot from the mess in D.C., and honestly she couldn't even say for certain it was the same man. But if it was, he looked happy.

She scrolled down through the comments, brow furrowing. "Wow. Half the people on here want to plan the wedding and the other half want to ..." She squinted as she tried to translate the terrible spelling and grammar on one particular comment. "Want to make him give his name back?"

"Whose name?" Thor boomed, striding in to the room and planting a kiss on top of Jane's head. "To strip someone of their name would suggest they committed a great crime."

"Or that people are narrow-minded bigots." She wrapped her fingers in the front of his t-shirt to stop him from leaving so soon, and he grinned as she stretched up for a proper kiss. "How's Joty?"

"Did you give him the collar I made?" Darcy chimed in. Unsurprisingly, she was the one who had named the Jotenheim Beast.

"He is well, my love. And he does look quite fetching in the collar you made him, Lady Darcy." Catching sight of the picture on the phone, Thor leaned over to have a closer look. "Have they written news about the Captain?"

"Seems he has a boy-friend." Darcy sing-songed it, then sighed dramatically. "See, I knew I should have been born a gay guy."

Thor looked absolutely delighted. "That is excellent news! A warrior's life is much more rich and full when they find a worthy shield-mate to fight beside." He kissed Jane once more before he straightened. "As I have found mine, I can only celebrate that a friend has found his as well."

Jane smiled up at him. As long as he didn't break things, he was really adorable when he got enthusiastic like this. "I wish more people on Earth were as open-minded as you are."

Thor's brow furrowed. "Are people speaking ill of him?"

"Yeah, because they're stupid." Darcy pulled the phone out of Jane's hand, scrolled down so he could see the comments, and handed it up to Thor.  "Also, some people might be pissed at him for the whole 'taking down SHIELD' thing, but those people have even fewer brain cells than the bigots."

Jane shot her a "why did you bring that up?" glare just as Thor's confusion turned ... well, thunderous. "SHIELD has fallen?" He looked back and forth between the two women. "Why was I not informed of this?"

Jane lifted a hand helplessly. "We don't get great reception out here?"

Fortunately, Thor was too caught up in the wrongs he'd missed to notice how absolutely pathetic a lie that was. "I must go see how my comrades fare." He handed Darcy the phone, then turned to Jane. "Forgive me. I do not know when I shall return."

"Wait!" Jane scrambled to her feet. "Maybe you should ... I don't know, call them first? You don't even know where they are."

He considered this, then nodded. "You are correct. If you will hand me your phone, I will ask Google for the necessary contact information."

She handed it over, feeling guilty. "Listen, everything's probably okay. Most of the dust has settled from the whole SHIELD mess, and this thing with Captain America is really more of a social image problem. I'm not sure what you could really do about it."

"I can stand with my brothers and show Earth that they have my support." He looked up from the phone, flashing those big, blue puppy eyes at Jane that he _knew_ melted her into a puddle, damn him. "It would be better if I could stand with my own shield-mate as well."

Jane sighed, already knowing she was going to give in. "Let me talk to Erik and see if he can cover things here."


	2. A Matter of Perspective

Steve preferred to draw from life, or memory, but since he'd been busy actually _experiencing_ this moment that hadn't been an option. He shaded in Bucky's pantleg, grateful to the teenage girl who had snapped a picture from the seat in front of them on the Coney Island Ferris wheel. Despite all the trouble it had caused, it was a permanent reminder of a wonderful memory.

Maybe he should send her flowers. JARVIS could probably find her address....

The thought scattered when he sensed Bucky come up behind him, folded arms resting against the couch just behind Steve's head. Smiling a little, he leaned his head back so they were touching. "I don't like that your face is in shadow in the original photo. JARVIS said he could compensate for that, but I like this technique better."

"I wish they could put the entire thing in shadow." Even though he couldn't see Bucky's face from this angle, Steve was absolutely certain the man he loved was glaring at the photo JARVIS had up on one of his midair screens. In fact, he could picture the look exactly – Bucky had been wearing the exact same expression every time he'd even thought about it for the last few days. "I _also_ wish I'd found this kid and broken her damn phone the moment we'd gotten off the ride."

"Be nice, Buck," Steve said easily, drawing the bow on the huge stuffed bear wedged into the Ferris Wheel seat on Steve's other side. That very same bear, which Bucky had won for him at the target shooting game, was sitting in the corner of their bedroom at Avengers Tower right this very second. They hadn't officially moved in yet – not that it would take long, given that he had exactly two boxes in Sam's garage in D.C. – but it was nice to be able to really settle into a place again.

"She didn't even know who we were, or she would have mentioned it in the tags," he continued, still focused on the drawing. Maybe he could get a frame for this one. "She just thought we were romantic."

Bucky took a few slow, deep breaths, clearly not comforted. "I don't understand why you're so okay with this," he said finally, tension in each word. "I remember you calling out people who were disrespecting _newsreels_. But when they're saying terrible things about _you_ , you act like you don't have a care in the world."

Setting down his pencil, Steve looked up at the man who had always tried so hard to stand between him and anyone throwing a punch. The fact that these punches were verbal didn't make the slightest bit of difference. "They don't know what they're talking about," he said quietly, regretting this part of the mess if nothing else. He reached up, stroking the back of his thumb along Bucky's metal arm. "It helps if you don't look at them."

"No it doesn't, because I still know they're out there." Bucky's face was tight with anger, but even that was a thousand times better than the blankness that would have been there a few months ago. "Just like _you_ know they're out there." He straightened, fingers still curled into the back of the couch. "Is it because it's about you? Are you the _one_ person you won't defend?"

Steve shifted around so he could look up at him more easily. "We're going to have our say with the press conference, remember?" He tried to sound reassuring as he covered Bucky's hand with his. "Pepper has a whole master plan, and when it comes to something like this I am more than happy to leave her in command. If I tried to say anything now, it would probably just mess things up."

Bucky gave him a long, measured look. "You know, if I were anyone else who has living space in this building, I might actually believe you," he said finally.

Steve sighed. "Natasha probably wouldn't either." 

Bucky made an exasperated noise, the tension draining out of him as he gently cuffed Steve on the back of the head. "So what's the real reason?" He dropped back down, arms folded along the back of the couch again. "I'll take anything that'll keep me from going crazy." He paused, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. "Or at least crazi _er_."

Steve smiled back, easier now that Bucky was. "Truth?" He stroked a hand along Bucky's arm. "I've been waiting for something like this for awhile."

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "So I've been right all this time. You really are insane."

"Obviously." Steve's smile widened. "I fell in love with you, didn't I?" Then he let out a long breath, expression softening. "It's out, now. As soon as the press conference is over, every single person out there will know Steve Rogers is madly in love with Bucky Barnes."

"And they'll keep giving you trouble about it." Bucky's voice was solemn as he wrapped his hand around Steve's. "Hell, after they find out _who_ you were kissing, they'll probably give you even more trouble."

"Doesn't matter." Steve pressed his lips against his best friend's knuckles. He wanted to shout Bucky's name from the rooftops, shake everyone until they saw that the most special thing about Steve Rogers had always been the guy standing next to him.

He wanted them to be as tangled together legally as they'd always been in every other aspect of their lives, the name James Buchanan Barnes scrawled out on a marriage certificate next to his. He'd always planned on getting married one day, and Bucky was the only person he could imagine spending forever with.

It was only when he heard the air leave his best friend's lungs in a rush that he realized he'd said at least that last bit out loud. "Steve." The word was a rasp, and Bucky had to clear his throat before he could make his voice work again. "Are you..." His voice broke again. "Are you seriously proposing to me right now?"

Steve was frozen for a second – though he should really be used to his mouth running ahead of his brain by now – then he swallowed.  "...Maybe?" He looked up again, more nervous than he'd been in a very long time. "I'll understand completely if you're not ready, and I can wait as long as you need to."

Bucky stared down at him, wariness and something else in his eyes. Steve wanted to tell himself that it was hope. "But you want to marry me."

Steve let out a breath. This wasn't how he'd planned it – there'd been vague fantasies of candlelight and a perfect dinner, further in the future so Bucky would have more time to settle into being himself – but to say anything else would be a lie. "Yeah," he said softly. "It's legal here in New York. And after the press conference is over, you'd get to officially claim all your old records. There won't be anything to stop us from suddenly showing up at city hall one day." He smiled a little, his own hope tangling up with the nerves. "I already know how good you look in a suit."

Bucky inhaled shakily, as if he'd finally remembered to start breathing again, then squeezed his eyes shut. He moved his hand to curl around the back of Steve's head, dropping his lips against Steve's hair. "I don't have the words," he murmured, voice thick with emotion. "I keep trying to find them, but they're just ... you're...."

Steve closed his own eyes. "You could try 'yes,'" he whispered.

Bucky made a sound that might have been a damp laugh. "Yes." He pressed a kiss against Steve's hair. "You'll have to help me survive this press conference first, but after that I'll marry you wherever the hell you want me to."

Steve lifted his head, cheeks wet but chest so full of light he felt like he could fly. "Don't think I won't hold you to that," he murmured, pulling Bucky down for a kiss.


	3. Surprise!

They ended up back in the bedroom, then afterward fell asleep wrapped around each other. It was a regular habit of theirs, no matter what time of day, and they joked to themselves that it was their right as senior citizens. The truth, though, that those naps were the one time the nightmares never seemed to find either of them.

When Bucky dreamed this time, it was of flowers, gold rings and the priest that he was almost sure had been in the neighborhood when he was a kid. He knew he was probably still missing stuff, but Bucky didn't think he'd ever been too keen on the idea of getting married. It was always something he pushed off into the future, when Steve found a girl who saw him for the prince he was and took him away from Bucky for good. He'd find his own girl then, if he managed to make it out of the war at all, and settle in next door and pretend that this was what he'd always wanted.

So it was a little surprising, then, that his subconscious could paint such a clear picture of Steve walking down the aisle in his dress uniform, grinning big enough to drown out the sunlight streaming in through the windows. Or the feeling in his chest as he slid the gold band onto Steve's finger, too much joy to fit into such a small space....

"Captain? Sergeant?"

Knocked out of the dream by the sound of JARVIS's voice, Bucky cocked an eye open. He'd thought about trying to get JARVIS to call him something else, but "Mr. Barnes" sounded just as strange and there was no way he'd be okay with "Sir."

"Forgive me for the intrusion, but there is some urgency in the matter."

Bucky sighed, finally answering the computer. "Yeah?"

"Mr. Wilson and Miss Carter have just entered the garage. I believe you should be expecting a call shortly."

On cue, Steve's phone buzzed. Next to Bucky, the man himself opened his eyes with a groan. "They're probably here for the press conference."

"Indeed. Mr. Stark has already prepared the empty floor for guests."

"He could have mentioned that to _us_ ," Steve grumbled, reaching over the side of the bed when his phone buzzed again. He grabbed the pair of pants, then sighed. "These are yours."

Bucky rolled over to scan his area of the floor, grabbing Steve's pants by the leg and dragging them within reach. Pulling out Steve's phone, he dropped back down onto the bed to answer it. "You could have told us you were coming."

"And the two of you could have _thought_ for five seconds and realized there was no way I wasn't gonna be there for this thing," Sam shot back, unrepentant. "Now, get your asses down here and help me carry up the entirety of Steve's worldly possessions."

Bucky hung up the phone, dropping it back down on the floor. "I say we get JARVIS to lock all the doors and pretend no one's home."

Steve leaned over to give him a long, thorough kiss before pushing himself out of bed. "You know he'll just keep calling until we get down there."

Bucky didn't move, enjoying watching a naked Steve trying to remember where they'd tossed his boxers. This man, who could probably have anyone in the world of either gender falling at his feet, wanted to stand up in front of the entire world and say he belonged to Bucky. Hell, he wanted to make it _legal_.

He cleared his throat, voice a little more emotional than he'd meant it to be. Maybe he'd fantasized about more in the old days than he'd thought he had. "Tony can let him in."

Steve turned around, head cocked slightly as he looked at Bucky. The _you okay?_ was silent but implied, and when Bucky nodded Steve's expression relaxed. "If he does, he'll drag Sam into the lab for 15 different test rounds of the new Falcon suit. We won't see him for the rest of the day."

 "Is that really such a bad thing?" Bucky asked, the corners of his mouth sneaking upward. When Steve mock glared at him, he gave an overly dramatic sigh and began the process of finding his own clothes.

Eventually, they made it downstairs to find Sam and Sharon leaning against the back of Sam's car, the trunk popped open. He hadn’t spent much time with Sharon yet, but Bucky remembered enough of Peggy now to be able to see it in her great-grand-niece. Add to that the way she looked at Sam, like she'd be happy to do it all day, and it was hard not to like her.

Sam shook his head with a grin. "Lounging around in bed in the middle of a weekday. Some superheroes you two are." After greetings and hugs were passed around, he hauled out one of the boxes and handed it to Steve. "Anyone ever tell you that you have way too damn many hardback books?"

Steve grinned back as Sam added the second box on top. "Paperbacks are too light. Hard to notice I'm even carrying anything."

"Oh really." He picked up a third box. "Then I'll make you carry Bucky's too. Hopefully, balancing is one of your superpowers."

"I got it." Bucky took the box out of Sam's hands, too interested to let them keep playing the game. "What I don't understand is why I have a box. Everything I own fits into a duffel."

"Everything you own _now_." Sam's voice was just a little too casual, and Bucky's eyes widened as he caught the insinuation.

Sharon smiled, looking faintly embarrassed. "One of my cousins mentioned that the Smithsonian had been holding onto some things from Aunt Peggy, you and the rest of the Commandoes that didn't make it into the exhibit." She shrugged. "I mentioned I knew someone who would appreciate Sergeant Barnes's things. They just assumed I'd been in contact with someone from the family."

Bucky took a deep breath, touched and faintly panicked all in the same moment, when Steve nudged his shoulder. "It'll be fine in the closet until you're ready," he said quietly. He smiled a little. "After all, we should probably have _something_ in there."

The tension eased out of him, and Bucky felt the corners of his mouth ease upward again. He was really a damn lucky man. "Thank you," he told Sharon. "Really."

Before she could respond, Tony's voice boomed across the garage. "Wilson!" He held his arms out. "You have to come upstairs, run through some tests on the Falcon suit with me. I've gotten the speakers in, but there's a small chance the vibration might actually rattle your teeth out."

Sam groaned, making Sharon rub his back consolingly as Tony approached. "I _like_ my teeth, Stark."

"Oh, stop being such a baby. I'd readjust the frequencies before they fell all the way— wait." Tony blinked, immediately readjusting his focus to Bucky's face. "You're smiling. Why are you smiling?"

Bucky narrowed his eyes at him, annoyed by the surprise in Tony’s voice. He'd thought they were pretty friendly by this point. "Hey, I smile."

"True, but ever since the picture hit the tabloids you've glared more than the Terminator. Now, though, you're practically grinning." He turned to Steve. "Tell me this isn't the first time you've tried to sex him out of his bad mood, Steven. I soundproofed those rooms for a _reason_."

Now it was Steve's turn to glare. "Tony!"

"Fine, fine. I'll put a twenty in the 'inappropriate' jar." Tony turned back to Bucky. "Spill."

"There's nothing—"

"Do not lie to me, Robocop. I am _so_ much better at it than you are."

"Fine." He hadn't thought his expression had changed _that_ much, but if it had there was only one possible reason. "I'm ... kind of engaged?"

"Hey," Steve corrected. "You said yes. That makes you definitely engaged."

There was a few beats of absolute silence, then Sam rounded on Steve. "You _proposed_ , the love of your life said _yes_ , and you can't pick up the phone and maybe mention some of this to yours truly? The _only_ person who should hear about something this big before me is Bucky, and since he's the one you _proposed_ to that doesn't count."

"Hey, it only happened about an hour ago."

"Then it should have been the _first_ thing out of your mouth when we saw each other again." He made a disgusted noise, taking back one of the boxes out of Steve's hand. "Seriously, I don't know why I put up with you people sometimes."

They headed toward the elevator, arguing all the way, leaving Bucky, Sharon and Tony staring at each other in amusement. "So, congratulations," Sharon said after a moment. "I'm sure Sam will get around to saying the same thing himself eventually."

"I, however, will have beaten him to it," Tony added, giving Bucky a companionable slap on his metal arm as they headed to the elevator. "I'm going to have to get you guys a really kick-ass blender." His eyes lit. "Or I could make you one. A _battle_ blender...."

Bucky raised an eyebrow at him, fighting a smile. "I will sic Pepper on you, Tony. Don't think I won't."

Tony shook his head in mock disappointment. "You're no fun."


	4. Battle Plan

They'd scheduled a pre-battle meeting that night with Tony and Pepper, giving them a chance to go over the details before tomorrow's press conference. It would be harder than the old Captain America touring – all he had to do in those days was stick to the official script and avoid the occasional tomato – but with Pepper in command he had no doubt they could survive it.

What he hadn't expected was the amount of backup they were going to have.

Steve's steps faltered as he stepped out onto Tony and Pepper's floor and saw Clint, Natasha, Bruce and Betty all settled in for the pre-battle meeting. "Tell me Tony didn't drag you into the middle of all this," he said, immediately feeling guilty.  He had ulterior motives for enjoying this particular mess, which meant that it was his responsibility to clean up.

Before Tony could respond, Sam walked past him out the elevator and cuffed Steve in the back of the head. Steve wasn't sure whether he or Bucky had taught the other the trick, but he'd have to think up some kind of retaliation on the off chance someone else got the idea to try it.

Sharon, the kinder of the two, patted his shoulder as she walked by. "I think what Sam is trying to say is that you're being an idiot."

"Exactly." Natasha added, toasting Sharon with her beer. She'd commandeered the most comfortable armchair in the room, Clint leaning back against her legs. "Now sit down, Deduska, before you hurt yourself thinking too hard."

Steve glanced over at Bucky, who shrugged and grinned at him. "You heard the lady." Even with everything that was happening tomorrow he looked utterly relaxed, loose and free in a way he hadn't been since before the war.

It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight. Steve couldn't help but grin back, nearly giddy with the knowledge that his best friend was not only _willing_ to marry him, but that he wanted to enough that it made him look that happy. "If it puts you in this good of a mood, maybe I should propose more often."

"What can I say?" Bucky kissed his cheek, then went over to grab his own beer. "I guess being engaged agrees with me."

"Hey, at least you sound sure this time," he called after him, only then noticing that every single person in the room was staring at him. Damn it, he did it again.

Before he could say anything - apologize, probably - Tony swept in followed by a robot carrying a stack of pizzas. "Before you ask, yes, they announced it exactly like that last time, too. They can both take out 12 HYDRA goons with one hand tied behind their backs, but neither of them can figure out how to announce their engagement on _purpose_." He gestured towards a low table. "Over there, Dum-E. Don't get anything on the carpet."

"It makes sense actually," Bruce offered, shooting Steve a sympathetic look as the other man sat down on the floor in front of Bucky. "For a long time, it was just the two of them. When you've been on your own for awhile, you forget that other people might want to hear about the things that happen in your life."

Betty, her head resting against Bruce’s shoulder, smiled at that. “A fact that Bruce knows through painful personal experience.”

"Can you imagine what we'd all do to some poor psychiatrist if we all went out and actually got the therapy we needed?" Clint asked, then pointed at Steve and Bucky. "I claim bachelor party planning rights. For both of you."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You _really_ think you're going to be able to fight me on this?"

"Excuse me," Tony cut in, looking offended. "The Super Seniors need more than your run of the mill bachelor party. If anyone should be planning this thing, it's—"

Whatever else he'd been about to say was cut off by the sound of the elevator doors opening, and Pepper strode through looking like she'd come straight from the office. "Sorry. Kajimoto had a new translator, and though she was discrete about it she had to keep correcting him throughout the meeting."

"Don't worry about it." Tony waved a hand, pouring her a glass of wine and accepting his "hello" kiss. "We were occupying ourselves by arguing who should plan Steve and Bucky's bachelor parties."

She raised an eyebrow. "I would think that would be up to Steve and Bucky." She looked over at them, giving them both a brilliant smile. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you," Steve said, rubbing a hand along Bucky's leg. "And honestly, if I'm going to let anyone plan my bachelor party I'd rather it was you."

Pepper laughed as the three men said "Hey!" in almost perfect unison. Clint recovered first, immediately turning his attention to Bucky. "You're gonna let me plan yours at least, right?"

"Sorry." Steve could hear the amusement in Bucky's voice. "But I've gotta go with Natasha on this one."

Natasha grinned. "Wise man. Last time anyone let him plan a party, I had to break everyone involved out of a charming little country jail."

Clint shot her an annoyed look. "Last time _you_ planned a party, we had to bury three people and smuggle two more out of the country!"

She shrugged. "See? Much more entertaining."

Bruce held up a hand. "As amusing as all of this is, we do have some more serious matters we need to discuss. I know I don’t have any lines, but I'd still feel better with a firmer idea of what's going to happen tomorrow."

Giving him a smile that Steve generally translated to mean "I'm glad at least one other sane person lives in the building," Pepper moved toward a vantage point where everyone in the half circle could see her. "We'll have Tony make a brief opening statement, because he has a more obvious public connection to Steve than I do and he'll delight in being rude to anyone who deserves it." She pointed at him with a warning look. "No improv, though. Steve and Bucky don't feel the same way you do about dramatic flourishes."

Tony held up a placating hand, sitting on the floor with an open pizza box in his lap. "I will be the picture of restraint." Steve, still feeling faintly guilty for having dragged everyone in here, went over to start handing out pizza to everyone else. 

Pepper shot him a wry look. "Because you're _so_ good at that." Then she went back into professional mode. "I'd like the rest of you arrayed back here, if possible. JARVIS?" At her request, one of the holographic computer screens came up showing a rough layout of the temporary stage that would be put up in the lobby of Avengers Tower. "Betty is the only one who needs to speak, right after Tony so she can establish the clone story we're going to use in case anyone later connects him to one of the Winter Soldier's assassinations.”

Betty, who had apparently been drafted because of her expertise as a cellular biologist, nodded without lifting her head. “I looked over the SHIELD-HYDRA files related to the failed clone project, so I should also be able to answer any questions about that as well.”

“Excellent,” said Pepper. “Once she’s done, Steve will speak. He can also answer a few questions if he feels comfortable with them, but he’s also fully within his rights to say ‘no comment.’ After that, Bucky will have the chance to say a few words, then we end the press conference and return to the tower.”

Sam raised his hand. "You really don't need us to do more than just stand there?"

"Technically, you don't need to be on the stage at all." Pepper looked almost apologetic as she said that. "But your presence there will make it clear that both Steve and Bucky have your complete support, and that could prove invaluable in the days ahead."

"We'll also serve as an honor guard on the way back upstairs," Clint added. "I know Tony will have security taken care of, but people like us tend to inspire a more creative class of asshole."

"Rhodey wishes he could be here to help," Tony added, "but he's apparently he's on one of those 'if I told you I'd have to kill you' missions. Still, he said he'll back us up 100 percent if anyone reaches out to him for a statement. As the 'official U.S. Government liaison to the Avengers,' he'll be a nice sound bite."  

Steve, having just barely sat back down with his own slice of pizza, leaned forward. "Seriously, guys, it's okay. Even if someone tries something, I'm sure—"

He stopped when he felt Bucky lean forward, his fingers a gentle pressure on the back of Steve's neck. "I'm pretty sure the Commandos would insist on doing the same thing, if they were here," he said quietly.

Steve hesitated, remembering the excerpt of the letter Dernier had written that Tony had shown them. They had clearly known more about what was going on than even Steve had, and Bucky was right – they would insist on being right in the middle of it. Could he deny his new friends that same opportunity? "Okay." He cleared his suddenly tight throat. "Thanks."

"Though, now that you mention it, it occurred to me that there's even more we can do to help smooth Captain America's journey out of the closet," Tony added, waving down Bruce's concerned expression. "Don't worry, Pepper approved it. I was thinking—"

The sudden flash of lightning from outside, followed the crash of thunder, interrupted the rest of the sentence. There was a moment of silence, then Sam said what they were all thinking. "It isn't raining, is it?"

"No," Tony answered, setting the pizza box aside and getting to his feet. "Looks like we're about to have company." 


	5. Avengers Date Night

Bucky tensed at Tony's announcement, hand moving toward the knife he'd started wearing at his belt before he'd had the time to form a thought. It stopped when he felt Steve's hand against his leg, a gentle pressure. "Looks like you're about to meet Thor."

Battle instinct faded, replaced by pure social panic. "The big, booming warrior guy?"

"That would be the one." Steve smiled as he pushed himself to his feet, holding out a hand for Bucky. "Come on. He doesn't bite."

"Don't let him give you a manly slap on the back, though," Clint said as he and Natasha stood. "That could be fatal."

Sam, the only other person who didn't look calm about any of this, looked at Steve wide-eyed. "This is the god, right? I'm about to meet an actual _god_?"

"An alien, more precisely," Bruce answered, a small smile on his face. "They were mistaken as gods by the early Norse people."

"Oh, an alien." Sam threw his hands up in the air. "Because that's _so_ much less dramatic."

"Relax … damn it, I still haven’t come up with a good nickname for you yet," Tony said. "Whatever. You seriously can't tell me this is the weirdest thing that's happened to you this year. JARVIS, security cameras, please?"

A screen appeared in midair. "Yep, it's Blondie. He called earlier, said he'd be stopping by." He swung the night-vision video feed around so everyone could see the very large man wearing what appeared to be an Albert Einstein t-shirt, carrying a much shorter woman with an oxygen mask and a duffel bag. It looked like he was landing, which meant that the big, cheerful warrior god could also _fly_.

Bucky stood, trying hard to ignore the fact that he was calculating target speeds and shot trajectories in the back of his mind.

Bruce leaned closer to the screen as the woman took off the oxygen mask. "Is that Dr. Foster?"

Betty moved closer as well, interested. "I wondered if she was okay. She hasn't been publishing lately."

"Apparently, that's because she was on a secret Arctic getaway with her enormous blond boyfriend." Tony threw his arm up with a flourish. "JARVIS, would you get the door?"

The door to the helipad opened, spilling light out into the darkness, and a moment later the duo stepped inside. Dr. Foster hesitated by the door, eyes widening at the sight of all the people she was suddenly facing, but Thor strode inside like he belonged there. "Welcome, friends. I am truly sorry I was not there to assist you during your recent troubles with SHIELD. He gave all of them a solemn, genuinely regretful nod, then turned to Steve and Bucky. "I am also sorry for the troubles you are facing now in your choice of shield-mate. What can I do to assist you?"

Steve, who had never fully quite grasped the fact that other people might want to help _him_ , looked flustered. Dr. Foster, seeing it, moved closer as if ready to head off potential conversational disaster. "Don't worry that it means anything. That's just the term he uses to mean boyfriend or girlfriend."

"Forgive me, my love, but it is not. Though they may be friends, a shield-mate is a much deeper bond." He suddenly turned to Bucky, who suddenly faced the instinctive, simultaneous urges to attack the potential threat and hide from wherever this conversation was about to go. "I believe you are the man in the photograph I saw. Is this correct?"

Bucky glanced over at Steve, who was apparently more than happy to pull himself back together now that he saw his best friend was floundering. "It is." Steve sounded ridiculously proud as he moved closer. "I'd make the introductions, but I'm sure his vocal chords will recover in a second and he'd probably punch me for doing it wrong."

Bucky groaned internally – he'd been trying _not_ to embarrass himself in front of Steve's friend – but Thor just nodded in understanding. "My Jane can get very temperamental as well when the data does not go as she wishes it to. She has not punched me yet, but she does become very violent in—."

Dr. Foster – apparently the Jane in question – looked absolutely mortified as she leapt forward to cut off the rest of the sentence. "I am _sure_ they don't want to hear details about our personal life—"

"Yes, we do," Tony interrupted. There was a whacking sound that was undoubtedly Pepper hitting him on the arm.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about, my love. Though you wield a different weapon than I, you are still very much a warrior." He turned back to Steve and Bucky, gesturing to her. "This is Dr. Jane Foster, my shield-mate. Jane, this is Captain Steven Rogers and his shield-mate."

Bucky smiled slightly, no longer nearly as worried as he had been a few minutes ago. "Technically, the name on my birth certificate is James Buchanan Barnes, but everyone calls me Bucky." He held out his real hand to Thor, who shook it with a firm grip just slightly short of bone crushing. "Pleased to meet you."

Steve put an arm around Bucky's shoulders. "Best friend and love of my life." His expression darkened briefly. "We lost each other for awhile, but the one good thing to come out of the whole mess in D.C. was the fact that we found each other again."

Thor smiled, his obvious pleasure for them both genuine enough to be slightly alarming. "Excellent! I look forward to fighting side by side with you against a common enemy, Bucky Barnes." Suddenly, his expression sobered. "Unfortunately, I do not know the best way to battle the foe you are facing now. All I ask is that Lady Jane and I be allowed to be part of the fight."

"Actually, that's the perfect segue for something Tony was about to discuss before you arrived." Pepper said, shooting Tony a look when he opened his mouth to say something. Clearly, he was no longer being allowed to contribute to the conversation. "To strengthen the message of unity, we were thinking it would be an excellent idea if all of us went out together socially. It would lessen the confrontational aspect that will be unavoidable at the press conference, while emphasizing that our support of Steve and Bucky is more than just a specifically choreographed show."

There was a brief pause as everyone stared at them both. Sam was the one to speak first, his voice careful. "You mean like date night?"

"Not just date night. _Avengers_ date night." Tony spread his hands out in a suitably theatrical gesture. "We're going to LaRoux for dinner, which is interesting enough not to bore Pepper and I to death but mainstream enough that the rest of you won't complain about the food. I have reservations for all 12 of us—"

"Which he set up weeks ago, just in case," Pepper added, smiling a little. "Long before we had any idea Thor was still on the planet."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sweetheart. As I was _saying_ , dinner's been taken care of, but we've got a couple of different options for after. Between all of us we've got enough PTSD and aggression issues that nightclubs aren't a great idea, but there's a supper club over on Lenox with terrible food but the kind of music that should appeal to our resident senior citizens. For the rest of us, just think of it as an excuse to slow dance with your significant other."

Thor nodded. "Dancing pleases me."

Betty smiled at Bruce. "Me, too."

Bucky glanced over at the man he loved, feeling something inside him go soft at the delight on Steve's face. "I'm pretty sure I don't remember the steps."

Steve grinned, leaning close. "That's okay. We'll figure them out together."

Natasha shot Clint an amused look. "Even if you don't, that's okay. I'm not sure Clint's ever learned."

Clint raised an eyebrow. "I haven't heard you complain yet."

"People, as much as I like that we've been able to proactively make a decision already, everyone's attention should still be on me. I'll hire a stretch limo for all of us - we'll open the top, Thor, in case you need the extra head room - and I'll have a personal shopper come by after the press conference to help fill in any deficiencies any of you might have in your wardrobe."

Bruce sighed. "My clothes are fine, Tony."

"Only because I forced you into shopping with Pepper and I, a process that it is past time I replicate with our dear Capsicle and Robocop over there. Though I'm thrilled that Steve finally learned to embrace t-shirts, I think it's safe to say we can't trust either of them to pick a suit out on their own."

Bucky leaned in close to Steve. "I seem to remember having pretty good taste in clothing, actually."

Steve nodded solemnly. "You have excellent taste in clothing." That sunshine smile of his snuck back onto his face. "You might need to help me out a little, though."

Bucky hooked an arm around Steve's waist. "I think I can manage that."

"A surprisingly healthy response, from both of you. I'm very proud." Tony turned back to the rest of the group. "Everybody in?"

"I would welcome the chance to participate in such an evening," Thor said, then turned to look for his girlfriend. "Jane, my love, are you agreeable?"

Jane didn't seem to hear, too deep in discussion with Betty and Bruce about something that sounded like it had to do with wormholes. When Thor repeated her name, Jane looked up. "Sorry, what?"

Thor smiled. "They are going out tomorrow evening in support of the Captain and Bucky Barnes. They request that we attend."

"You're also welcome to take part in the press conference, if you'd like," Pepper added.

Jane waved a hand. "Whatever you need us to do." Then it was right back to the discussion.

Thor nodded. "Then we are agreed."

Clint looked around the room. "I'd say we all are."

"Excellent." Tony grinned. "Looks like Avengers Date Night is a go."


	6. Standing Together

Steve sat up in bed, using the dawn light to flip through his notecards one more time. He wasn't about to take them onstage – if the USO tour had taught him anything, it was that he sounded like an idiot when he read from a script – but this was important enough he wanted to make sure he had his thoughts in order.

_A little while ago, a friend asked me what made me truly happy. I told him I didn't know, because the one person who had always made me the happiest had fallen off a train 70 years before. Bucky Barnes has always been—_

"So should I get a photo of this?" A tired, amused voice interrupted his thoughts. "Prove to Sam that he's right when he teases you about practicing your inspirational speeches in the bathroom?"

Steve smiled a little as Bucky sat up next to him. "I know you have some memory problems, Buck, but even you should be able to tell this isn't the bathroom."

"Hah hah." Bucky's grin flashed for a brief, wonderful moment. "Unfortunately for you, I've also forgotten why I ever thought you were funny." He leaned in close. "Your notes for the press conference?"

"Yeah." Steve turned back to the words he'd so carefully chosen, guided here and there by Pepper's advice. "Stakes are a little higher here than they were on the USO tour."

The corners of Bucky's mouth curved upward again at the memory. "I still can't believe you were willing to actually show me that newsreel. If I were you, I would have wiped that copy and all the backups."

Steve chuckled. "I'm pretty sure it's in the Library of Congress. Unless you want to plan a mission with me, I've given up any hope of getting rid of all the copies."

"Hey, maybe I'll take care of that one for you as a wedding present." Too soon, though, his expression sobered. "Are you sure you want me to talk?" He let out a long breath. "I can't see me improving the situation much, and there's too much chance that anything I say will make it worse."

"I know you remember that I'm the one who always got us in trouble." He curled a hand around the back of Bucky's head, fingers stroking back and forth through his hair. "You're the one who talked our way out of it."

"And if Tony tries bringing up the reality show again, I'll keep being the one to tell him no." That had been only one of the group weekend plans tossed around the night before, all of which sounded either semi-legal, extremely dangerous or completely embarrassing.

Steve smiled. "Maybe the bilgesnipe hunting, though."

Bucky raised an eyebrow, amused. "Unless I sedate you, first." Then he sighed, sounding tired again. "You want normal for this, Steve. Normal and respectable or at least so rich no one dares to argue with you. I'm not any of—Hey!" The rest of the sentence cut off as Steve cuffed him gently on the back of the head. "I'm being serious, Steve."

"You're being a dope." He tugged him closer, pressing a kiss against the side of his head. "You really think I'm doing this without you watching my back?"

Bucky closed his eyes. "But I don't have to _talk_ to do that," he said plaintively.

Steve chuckled, leaning his forehead against the side of his best friend's head. "It's up to you whether you want to talk or not," he said softly. "All I care about is that you're next to me."

Bucky squeezed his leg. "Only place I've ever wanted to be."

000

When the press conference started, all twelve of them filed out onstage together. The camera flashes started instantly, mingled with more than a few gasps when Thor stepped into view. There were even more when they saw that Steve was holding the hand of the person walking behind him.

None of them, however, could feel the tension in Bucky's fingers, or had any idea how much bravery it took for him to walk up here at all. Steve squeezed his hand, so proud of him he could burst with it.

They all stood in a line along the back of the stage, shoulder to shoulder, and held the pose a moment to emphasize the point. Only then did Tony step forward to the podium, his gaze sweeping the crowd. "Now, I know most of you are here thinking you'll get official confirmation on Captain America's sexuality. Technically you will, but in this day and age that's an incredibly stupid reason to hold a press conference. If Ellen Page can do it in the middle of a three-minute awards speech, the fact that all of you are this excited about who Steve Rogers wants to hold hands with should make you question what you're doing with your lives."

Between one breath and the next, Tony shifted his voice from pure cockiness to the kind of seriousness Steve normally ever heard from him in the middle of a firefight. "The reason we're _really_ here is because the data dump that revealed HYDRA's crimes didn't tell the whole story. The Avengers have discovered a project so secret, so horrific, that not even HYDRA wrote it down anywhere but a single hard copy file." He paused, as if he needed a moment to collect himself. Steve wondered how many people in the audience knew that the anger in his voice was absolutely genuine. "An American hero, tortured and used and held in suspended animation for more than 70 years."

Steve could feel Bucky flinch at the words "American hero" as several of the reporters noticed the time reference and immediately turned to Steve. The smarter ones then shifted their gazes over to Bucky, and you could almost see the moment when they remembered the documentary they'd seen on the History Channel last year, or the book that had come out around the same time about the Howling Commandos. Maybe they just remembered a class they'd had in college, or the last time they'd been to the Smithsonian.

Bucky was in the history books, too.

This time, the gasps were much louder, and Tony let them settle before he spoke again. "James Buchanan Barnes was presumed dead during the Commandos' mission to capture Dr. Emil Zola, but in the aftermath of the fall of SHIELD Captain Rogers realized that he had instead been taken as a hostage, experimented on, and held in suspended animation."

He kept telling the story, spinning it from cold reality into something not quite true but easier for the public to understand. They'd stolen Bucky's agency, his entire identity – he'd had no choice in who he'd killed. He'd had no choice in anything, far more a prisoner than he would have been had they simply locked him in a cage.

But if the deaths came to light, or someone connected Bucky to the blurry YouTube videos of the Winter Soldier’s attack in D.C., Steve couldn't be sure that people would understand that. Couldn't be sure that someone wouldn't try to punish Bucky for Pierce and Zola's crimes, when those two bastards had already put him through enough pain for a thousand lifetimes. If telling people clones had done it would make Bucky's life even the slightest bit easier, Steve knew he would tell as many lies as he needed to.

Steve could sense Tony wrapping up, and from the way everyone's hands shot up the reporters could as well. Tony held up his own hands, forestalling all of them. "There will be time for questions, I promise you, but we're going to give you as many answers as we can first. I'm honored to present Dr. Elizabeth Ross, who will explain HYDRA's cloning process and the suspended animation that kept Barnes from aging during his imprisonment."

That was Betty's cue to step out of line and approach the podium. The woman Bruce loved was far more quiet than Tony, but Steve could hear the steel in her voice as she explained the completely fabricated science so convincingly that half the people in the audience were already nodding their heads. He hadn't spent much time with Betty, yet, but he already knew how fiercely she protected Bruce. Clearly, she was willing to do the same thing for Bucky.

Steve's chest tightened. It was a gift he didn't take lightly.

He returned his attention to her presentation just in time to hear it come to a close as well. She answered a few questions, shutting down the occasional idiot nearly as well as Pepper did, then began speaking again. "The science, however, fails to address one very important thing. Sergeant James Barnes is a living, breathing human who has been through a horrific experience. From the time I have spent with him, I can tell you I am amazed at what he has overcome. He is a good man, and I am honored to know him."

She smiled back at both of them, just a beat too late to catch Bucky flinching again. Steve squeezed his hand.

Betty turned back to the reporters. "There are only two people, however, who are truly qualified to talk about Barnes's mind and heart. One of those people is Steve Rogers, who fought beside Barnes during World War II and has been his best friend since they both were children. He would like to say a few words now."

She returned to her place in line, giving them both an encouraging smile as she went by. Though he was touched that she tried, Steve couldn't stop the tension that slid through him.

It was time.

Steve glanced over at Bucky, reassured by the small nod that had always meant his best friend was with him. Then, slowly, reluctantly, he let go of Bucky's hand and began his own walk to the podium.


	7. Not Exactly Objective

Bucky watched Steve walk the few feet to the microphone, closer to the crowd of people who wielded their cameras like they were weapons. He'd tried hard not to visualize how he would take them all out – that was something the Winter Soldier did, not Bucky – but now that Steve was no longer holding his hand it helped keep his breathing steady. The video cameras were heavy enough he could take out the cameraman and at least three of the people around each one of them, then work his way towards the nearest security guard with his knife. Steal his gun and taser, then work his way over to the next one ....

The clarity of the thought faded as he felt the back of Natasha's hand rest gently against his, the silent offer of another hand to hold. Bucky grabbed it briefly, giving it a quick, affectionate squeeze, then let it go as he forced his breath to steady without thinking about anything but the sound of Steve's voice.

"... Barnes was the pride of P.S. 3. He was smart, popular, good at baseball and could charm all the teachers. Every kid in our grade wanted to be his friend, but when you decide to befriend an asthmatic shrimp with anger issues it turns out you don't get an option two and three."

The crowd in front of them was forgotten as Bucky's throat tightened at the self-recrimination in Steve's voice, hidden beneath the lightness. He wanted to go over there and shake his best friend for being such a dope, for seeing the past so incredibly wrong even though he supposedly remembered more of it than Bucky did. He half expected someone in the audience to hoot derisively, but everyone was listening raptly as if what Steve was saying made perfect sense.

"I made his life miserable, I'm sure. He spent most of his time getting me out of fights, finishing the ones I started or patching me up in the aftermath. I'd complain every time that I could do it on my own, and he'd call me an idiot and swear that next time he'd just sell popcorn. And then next time would come, and he'd be right there making sure I didn't get myself killed."

A parade of images made their way through Bucky's mind, each one turned over as carefully and lovingly as an old photograph that he'd thought was lost forever. He knew he didn't remember every incident, and he hadn't gotten a new memory in long enough that he was pretty sure he never would.

At this point, though, he was grateful for every memory he had. He never wanted to forget the kid who'd looked at Steve Rogers and seen the rest of his life.

Steve took a deep breath. "I learned what love was by watching Bucky Barnes, though even now I still don't understand why I was lucky enough to be the focus of that love."

Bucky had to swallow at that, his eyes stinging. Somehow, it hadn't been nearly this bad with Tony and Betty, because he could tell himself that Tony was full of it and Betty was too nice to see him as he really was.

Steve, though, knew more of the worst bits than anyone did, both before the Winter Soldier and after. And he might be more willing to lie than anyone gave him credit for, but he was also really bad at it. Steve wasn't lying, at least not as far as he believed. And Steve was only good at spinning BS if he believed in it.

He'd decided to concentrate on Steve to keep from going crazy, but he was pretty sure that was about to backfire spectacularly on him.

"It's easy to fight when you have nothing to lose, because you don't care if you make it out alive." Steve ducked his head a little. Bucky was afraid he knew exactly what the expression on his best friend's face looked like. "But I could never stop caring, because Bucky was always my reason to stay alive."

Bucky was blinking hard now, hands clenching together to keep from swiping at his eyes. Damn it, if Steve made him cry he was going to punch him. It was either that or make him sleep on the couch, and that would punish Bucky as much or more than it would Steve.

"He was my reason for most things, actually, though I never figured out how to tell him that." His chest squeezed at the smile he could hear in Steve's voice. "When I stopped my USO tour to liberate that HYDRA weapons facility full of American POWs, I didn't do it to be a hero."

Steve's fingers tightened on the edge of the podium, then relaxed. "I didn't even do it because it was the right thing. I did it because I hoped Bucky was alive in there somewhere, and a world without Bucky Barnes in it wasn't something I wanted to be a part of."

Steve was silent for a moment after that, and he saw a few people in the audience widen their eyes at that before bending down to their notebooks. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Natasha's mouth tighten, just a little, and further down the line he saw some understanding pass through Sam and Tony's eyes.

It had been two years between the time Steve had woken up and the time Bucky had. Another memory slid through Bucky's mind, his best friend's voice as calm and certain as if he was repeating a well-known fact of life.

_Once I saw even the smallest chance I could get you back, nothing else mattered._

"I love Bucky Barnes." That same certainty was in Steve's voice, as if what he was saying was the most obvious thing in the world. "I don't see how everyone doesn't love Bucky Barnes, but I'm lucky enough to be the one who gets to kiss him goodnight. I will never forgive myself for not knowing he was still out there somewhere, that he was being hurt by the same people I thought he'd given his life fighting, but—"

"Wait."

It was only as he heard the word that Bucky processed that he was the one saying it. Steve turned instantly, his expression a mixture of worry and fondness that made it clear that the crowd of reporters in front of him was a distant second to making sure his best friend was okay.  After a few seconds of silence the reporters shifted their attention as well, cameras flashing as they waited for whatever was about to happen.

Bucky sent Steve an apologetic look. Steve didn’t look at all bothered, tilting his head to say that he was happy to cede the floor if Bucky wanted to say something.

He didn’t, really, but standing there with everyone staring at him he realized that he probably needed to. When they were kids Bucky had been the one to do all the talking, and during the war he’d always made sure to cede the spotlight to Captain America. Steve had always tried to get him to step forward, but he’d felt like that wasn’t his place.

 If he was going to marry the guy, though, it had to be.

Slowly, he walked up to the podium. Steve immediately stepped aside, but Bucky caught his sleeve and tugged him back so they were standing side by side. “I’d like to apologize for how sappy that got.” He glanced over at Steve, smiling a little. “If I tried to go on like that about this guy, I’m pretty sure he would have dragged me away from the mic long before I even got past the first paragraph.”

Steve blinked, startled, then his lips curved upward in one of those sunlight grins. “That’s because you’d be exaggerating." He hooked an arm around Bucky's shoulders. "I was just being honest.”

There was a scattering of chuckles from the reporters, but most of them were staring at Steve as if they'd never seen him before. Bucky wasn't entirely sure what that meant – it was just a smile, and a pretty damn attractive one at that – but this wasn't the time to ask.

Besides, if they weren't smart enough to enjoy it, that was their problem. Bucky let himself soak in the sight for a few more precious seconds before turning back to the crowd. "Before he can tell you any more whoppers about how fantastic I am, I'd just like to say that I'm very glad I got a second ... no, this is third ... a third chance at living." He slid a hand around Steve's back, trying to keep his voice casual even though the words were deadly serious. "And now that I'm back, anyone who even thinks about hurting Captain America is going to be hearing from _me_."

There were a few more chuckles from the audience – it was probably best that they thought it was a joke – but Steve just laughed and kissed his cheek like he'd said something sweet. Bucky felt his smile curve wider as the man he loved turned back to the crowd. "On that note, we should probably take a few minutes to answer some questions."


	8. The Perfect Fit

When the conference was over, the return back to the privacy of the upper floors felt like both an escape and a triumphant return home. Steve could still feel the buzz he’d gotten from watching Bucky talk to the crowd, sounding almost as cocky and easily confident as he had back when they were teenagers. It hadn’t been that simple – he’d felt the tension in Bucky’s muscles, recognized the little flashes in his eyes that the reporters couldn’t – but it had been wonderful seeing him so ready to tackle something that had nothing to do with fighting.

Thor and Jane went with Steve and Bucky in the first wave upstairs, since they'd collectively decided that giving the press a chance to ask Thor _anything_ would be a spectacularly bad idea. Clint and Natasha went upstairs with them, expressions making it clear they would be more than happy to kill anyone who even _thought_ about looking at any of their people in less than an open and friendly manner.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, however, Clint's expression relaxed. "Good job dancing around the engagement question," he said, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. "After the way you two let it spill last night, I would have put money on one of you letting it slip without anyone needing to ask."

Steve rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, lingering guilt sneaking in to ruin his good mood. "Don't remind me."

Thor's brow furrowed. "What upsets you, Captain? As Hawkeye said, you seemed most adept during the questioning."

Jane shrugged sympathetically. "You're a lot better than I would have been, if that helps." Natasha just watched him, her expression sympathetic as she studied all the little shifts and facial twitches he didn't even know he was making.

Bucky, looking a little rueful but mostly relieved, rubbed a soothing hand along Steve's back. "He's just feeling a little guilty," Bucky explained, eyes softening as his lips curved upward just a little. "If he had his way, he'd have dropped to one knee and started reciting poetry."

Steve chuckled. He'd known it was the right decision by the way he'd felt Bucky relax, but it was nice to get it confirmed. "Not unless you start buying me flowers more often, jerk. I'm not the one who's going to do all the romantic heavy lifting in this relationship."

Bucky's smile widened. "Hey, I'm planning to break into the Library of Congress for you. What more of a romantic gesture do you want?"

"I did not know that libraries were well secured on this planet." Thor looked at Bucky with interest. "What treasures does this Library contain, Bucky Barnes?"

Clint, eyebrows lifting briefly as if he'd just realized something, answered the question. "The 'Star-Spangled Man With a Plan' footage, right? If you're really doing this, let me know. I will be there in a _second_." Then he turned to Steve. "Seriously, though, you made the right call. Don't give those jackals any more than you have to."

Jane nodded in agreement. "The press makes everything harder. It's not hiding, or being ashamed of each other. It's protecting your relationship."

Steve smiled at her. She and Thor had told them the aftermath of London the night before, and how they'd ended up at the research station. "Hey, at least we didn't have to move out of the country, right?"

Her smile widened. "See, you got off easy."

Natasha's smile was closer to a smirk, her eyes affectionate but radiating certainty that she had figured out something you hadn't. "I would have enjoyed it, though. I'm sure all of the bridal magazines would have fallen all over themselves coming up with a suitably American-themed wedding."

Clint grinned, eyes distant as he pictured it. "Can you imagine the suits? Bright white, with blue lapels for Steve and red for Bucky. Or stripes – that would be even better."

Natasha turned to them both. "I'm sure the AARP would send their two favorite seniors a lovely wedding present. Maybe a matching set of walkers...."

Thor's brow furrowed again. "Why do they need something to walk for them? Do these devices carry things?"

Before the conversation could devolve any further, the elevator reached its destination. Tony had told them to go to his floor, where Steve had expected they would all meet for a post-mission debriefing. Instead, the doors opened to revel the common area covered with different racks of clothing, all of it being carefully surveyed by an efficient-looking woman who instantly reminded Steve of Pepper. "Ah, there you are," she said when the group emerged. "I presume you're the three couples that Mr. Stark said needed outfits for tonight?" She held out a hand. "Valerie Izon, at your service."

Bucky's eyes narrowed slightly. "When did you sneak up here? That elevator has more security on it than some banks, and all of the people who can get past it were up on stage with us."

"Not all of them, Sergeant," JARVIS cut in. "Miss Potts asked that I let her in and assist her in getting settled during the press conference."

"Ah. That makes sense." Bucky glanced up. "I sounded kind of accusatory, there. Sorry."

"No need to apologize, Sergeant. I assure you I would be equally distressed if someone made it past the security systems." There was a pause. "I believe I have not yet congratulated you both on your engagement. Allow me to remedy that."

Steve smiled again. JARVIS was the one thing that he felt really lived up to those old sci-fi books Bucky had loved so much. He may have been made out of circuits and wires, but he seemed just as alive as the rest of them were. "Thanks."

Valerie nodded decisively. "Now that we have that settled, I have a shirt that is absolutely screaming your name. It will go beautifully with both your eyes and that arm." She turned to a particular rack, efficiently sorted through it, then pulled out a shirt and held it out in Bucky's direction.

Bucky looked down at it, then back up at the woman, obviously overwhelmed. "It's very ... silky."

She waved a hand. "Believe me, your significant other over there will appreciate it. I'll let you pick out a few suits to try, though the ones in that portion of that rack should fit you best. Mr. Stark said his tailor should be here in an hour to make any necessary adjustments."

Steve winced. "He's bringing in a _tailor_?"

As if he'd been waiting for an appropriate line to make his entrance, Tony and the rest of the group stepped through the doors. "Of course I did. Only heathens go out in untailored suits." He pointed a warning finger at Clint. "Speaking of heathens, you are _definitely_ on the makeover list. I trust Natasha to be able to dress herself, but after that jacket I saw you wearing the thought of you choosing your own wardrobe _terrifies_ me."

"You lack the vision to appreciate that jacket," Clint shot back. "My clothes are just fine."

"No they're not," Natasha said, sorting through one of the racks herself and pulling out a few select pieces. She lifted her head only long enough to meet Valerie's eyes, then gesture to Clint. "Is it fine if I dress this one?"

Valerie moved to where she could critically survey Natasha's outfit, then nodded. "I need final approval, but you can clearly be trusted." She turned back to Clint. "And he needs all the help he can get."

As Clint looked offended, Sam and Sharon each started moving toward a rack. "Any chance we can get in on the free party gear?" Sam asked. "We didn't pack for dinner and dancing."

"He did, actually," Sharon added. "But this is better."

Tony swept out a hand. "Come, partake in Valerie's delightful fashion sense." He looked at Thor. "You too, big guy. Your formal 'Prince of Asgard' gear was fine for the press conference, but nothing I have will fit you and there's no way I'm being seen with you in that Einstein shirt you had on last night."

"I am fond of that shirt. Jane gave it to me." Still, he nodded. "I will admit, though, that there are many fine articles of clothing here. I am sure I will find something that suits both Jane and myself." He immediately began removing his clothing, only to be stopped by Jane.

"Not out here." She glanced over at Valerie. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Valerie shrugged, looking amused. "I've got a lovely wife at home. If I'm sorry anyone won't be changing out here, it's you and that gorgeous redhead over there."

Natasha just grinned and stripped off her own shirt. Clint wolf-whistled, Jane blushed, and Thor looked amused. "If you would like, Jane, we may find a private area to change."

Valerie handed them some clothing options, then turned back to Steve and Bucky. "I'll leave you guys to look around for a few minutes, see what you're drawn to. Then I can work with you on things like visual effect and other elements you might not recognize." She turned to Steve. "Like you, for example. I'm sure I'm breaking the heart of half the country by saying this, but you wear your t-shirts too tight."

Steve shrugged, embarrassed. "I don't go shopping much. It's the size they give me."

"That's because the salesclerks are apparently scheming against you." She shook her head. "We should talk about your wardrobe beyond tonight, if you'd be willing."

Bucky shook his head, fighting a grin. "Don't. I like your t-shirts just the way they are."

Steve, delighted, didn't bother fighting his own. "I guess I'm keeping them, then."

Valerie sighed. "Why does that not surprise me?" She shooed them toward the racks before heading towards Sam and Sharon. "If I can't save your entire wardrobe, I will at least make you look like masterpieces tonight."

After she left, Bucky's expression softened. "You know you already are a masterpiece, right?"

Steve melted. "See, you're just as much of a romantic sap as I am."

With that, Bucky's grin finally emerged. "Yeah, but at least I have the sense not to do it on national television."

Steve laughed. "There is that."


	9. On the Road Again

Though he never would have admitted it had been surprisingly tough for Bucky to hold still for the tailor. The old man was as polite as old men ever were, muttering to himself while he nipped and tucked in various places, but Bucky had to breathe past more than one flicker of panic that he told himself was completely ridiculous.

It didn't feel that way, though – the shadows in his head knew that nothing good came of being forced to stay still while other people did things to him.

Steve insisted on staying right there with him, which helped. The tailor had already hushed him into silence more than once, actually stabbing him with a pin when he wouldn't listen, but thankfully that was just as much of a distraction as the conversation would have been. He grinned at Bucky once the tailor's back was turned, dramatically miming a ridiculous impression of the man that he kept up for the rest of the fitting.

It beat romantic poetry any day of the week.

Steve had no problem when it was his turn, though when the tailor tried to go after him with a pin again Bucky grabbed his wrist. He had no idea what his face looked like – he was too busy reminding himself that this was not an appropriate situation to break bones – but the old bastard saw enough to be dead silent and scrupulously polite throughout the rest of the fitting.

After he left, Steve gave him a bashful little half-grin and struck a pose. "So, what do you think? Do I clean up nice enough to go out on a date with the best looking fella in New York City?"

Bucky let himself look his fill, reveling in the feeling of being stupid in love with the wonderful, beautiful idiot that was Steve Rogers. "You've got this all backwards, punk. That's the question I should be asking you."

Steve caught Bucky's tie, pulling him closer. "One day, you'll figure out I'm always right and stop arguing with me."

Bucky's lips curved upward as they both leaned in. "Like I said," he murmured. "That's my line."

The kiss more than made up for the complaining Valerie did later when she saw the state of his tie. She was distracted when Thor started protesting that none of the available jackets were in quite the right shade of burgandy, and by then Bruce and Betty had joined them upstairs in perfectly nice formal wear that they flatly refused to let Tony have any kind of input on. Being Tony, he still tried to get Bruce to change into this purple shirt he kept talking about, but then Pepper stepped out in her evening wear and promptly made Tony forget about absolutely everything else.

Finally, they made it down to the limo, only to find out that Tony had overestimated its size and it wouldn't be enough to fit all of them. Natasha murmured a dick joke under her breath, making Clint snort and Pepper burst out laughing, which meant that JARVIS had to call for the second limo while Tony battled Natasha in a double entendre war.

When the second limo arrived, they decided who would ride in what vehicle. Tony and Natasha ended up choosing people like they were back in grade school picking baseball teams – Tony lost, so he insisted on going first – and somehow he and Steve ended up in Tony and Pepper's limo along with Sam and Sharon. Once the doors had closed, Tony swept out a hand. "Feel free to wallow in the luxury, but don't get too crazy in the mini fridge or you'll spoil your dinners." Pepper, reading something intently on her tablet, smirked at the comment but didn't say anything to Tony.

Bucky, however, realized that he probably should confess about the little incident from earlier. "I might have terrified your tailor a little," he admitted. "If he refuses to ever work with you again, or starts yelling at you in Italian and threatening lawsuits, that's on me."

Tony raised an eyebrow, curious. "He attack you with the pins?"

Steve held up a hand. "Me, actually. He decided I was being too loud."

"Ah." Tony just nodded, as if everything suddenly made sense, then waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's good for Antonio to know that someone out there scarier than he is."

Bucky settled back against the seat, and Steve snuggled in a little against his side. "My hero," he murmured.

Bucky's grin flickered, his chest warm. "Shut up."

Sam turned to Sharon. "Quick, say something romantic to me. We're losing here."

Sharon took a long, slow drink of her scotch, her eyes sparkling. "Find me someone's wrist to break, and I'll get right on that."

Sam sighed, shaking his head as he stole a sip of her drink. "I've surrounded myself with crazy people."

Tony, surprisingly, didn't take advantage of the opening, too distracted by something Pepper was showing him on her tablet. Her expression stayed even – of the two of them, Pepper was the much better poker player – but Tony's face alternated between satisfied nods, the occasional scowl, and even one or two grins. Bucky and Steve watched him, then looked at each other as they both realized what was happening.

He could feel Steve tense next to him, so Bucky was the one who asked the question. "So, what are the reporters saying about us?"

Tony glanced up at them both, his expression evaluating for just a second, then he and Pepper looked at each other. When Pepper nodded, Tony turned back to them. "It depends on the news organization, really. The ones that focus on gossip are all screaming about your no-longer-so-secret gay love, and I'm willing to bet you money that that everyone who's written books about you two in the last 20 years is going to be _very_ popular on the commentary circuit for the next few weeks."

Steve let out a breath. "And the ones that focus on more serious news?"

Tony hesitated. "A lot of them are going back to the SHIELD-HYDRA files, which is smart, and springing off with either the cloning, the assassinations, or whether or not there are any other missing American heroes that HYDRA sucked up over the years."

Bucky winced. He and Tony had talked about the possibility that he had killed Howard – he still didn't remember it, but that meant nothing – and the other man had made peace with it. That didn't mean, though, that either of them had really expected it to be dragged out into the light like this. "Tony...."

There was a flicker of something in Tony's expression, but his eyes were kind. "It's okay. They'll get nothing from me unless they ask me about my fabulousness." He squeezed Pepper's leg. "Or Pepper's."

Her expression went serious for a moment. "What Tony hasn't wanted to say is that a few of the reporters are clearly angry that you both answered everything so carefully, and have put out op-ed pieces so they didn't have to bother with messy things like facts." Her voice grew increasingly tight with anger, enough that she had to take a breath before looking up at everyone else. "If it becomes a problem, we'll take care of it. But I'm asking JARVIS to block the articles from being accessed by any of the Tower servers."

"Thank you," Steve said quietly.

Bucky didn't say anything, knowing that the articles must be flat-out vicious if Pepper felt the need to protect the rest of them like this. People out there were trying to hurt Steve for no other reason than he managed to outsmart them.

"She means you too, Bucky," Sam pointed out. "You're starting to make your killing face a little, there."

Steve squeezed his hand, and Bucky took a few slow, deep breaths to move past the rage. "I should probably never know who any of these people are."

Sharon's smile was sympathetic. "I think that's kind of Pepper's point."

"Now that we've all thoroughly upset and depressed ourselves, It's more than time that we go back to talking about the sites that are absolutely _cooing_ over the two of you." Tony scrolled down the tablet in Pepper's hand, clicking on a particular entry.

Seeing it, her expression brightened. "This one is my current favorite. Have either of you read any of the analysis about the news footage of the two of you at the Smithsonian?"

Steve's brow furrowed. "People talk about it?"

"Oh, _so_ many people." Tony took the tablet out of Pepper's hand, handing it to Bucky. "It's the only recorded footage of the great Captain America smiling like he just got a pony for Christmas. It's not a meme or anything, but everyone from teenagers to actual historians have spent the last few years trying to figure out what it was that made you so damn happy."

Bucky looked down at the article, a picture from the news footage posted big and clear at the top. He'd only seen the footage once, before he'd really had any idea who he was, but the memory of that day was one of the clearest things in Bucky's head.

He glanced down at the middle of the article.

_...even a novel, all trying to explain what should have been a simple question. What made an American hero that happy?_

Steve, leaning over Bucky's shoulder to read as well, winced. "No one told me there was a novel."

_After Rogers came back, springing up out of the ice to fight aliens as if he'd never been asleep, the question seemed more relevant than ever. Every image we have of him, during the Battle of New York or afterward, looks so serious. So sad. As if he's disappointed in the America he woke up to. People started to want that sun-bright smile back more than ever._

_Today, we found it, and answered forever the question of what had caused it. It was no ode to innocence later lost, no desperate escape from the war—_

"It was that, a little," Steve murmured.

_—nor any of the jokes people imagined were being told in the silent footage. It was, quite simply, the man standing next to him._

At that point they showed a second picture from the press conference, the moment where Steve smiled and made everyone at the press conference go wide-eyed. The one that was apparently so rare for everyone else that people couldn't stop talking about it, but that Bucky got to see all the time.

"Give it." Sam made grabby hands. "I've gotta read whatever it is that could make the two of you look that dopey in love."

Bucky handed it over, still feeling a little awed, then turned to Steve. "If you say that's your 'Bucky smile' or something sappy like that, I swear I'll hit you."

"Nah." Steve grinned, that same bright, sunlit burst that had apparently become semi-legendary. "It just means I'm really happy. It's complete accident that only seems to happen when you're right next to me."

"Okay, the sugar quotient is going too far the other way. I can feel my teeth rotting just listening to you both." Tony stole the tablet back from Sam, scrolling through it. "We are going to listen to AC/DC on the way to dinner, and you will _like_ it."


	10. No Snails, Please

They did not, in fact, end up listening to AC/DC, mostly because Pepper insisted they put it to a vote and every single other person in the limo sided against Tony. He then immediately contacted JARVIS on his phone to try and get someone else on his side, but when the computer went with Pepper as well he gave up and accepted that he would be forced to listen to classical music for the rest of the ride. 

When they pulled up to the restaurant, photographers suddenly swarmed to the limo like bees to a flower. The second limo pulled up behind them, and for a moment no one moved.

Then Tony signaled the driver to go around and get the door, and Steve could practically see his and Pepper's public faces settle over them. "Remember," Pepper murmured. "One of the reasons we're doing this is to be seen together. They may think they're catching us off guard, but this is all part of the plan."

Steve squared his shoulders, hand still locked with Bucky's as the door opened. The flashbulbs started going almost immediately, only seeming to increase when Pepper and Tony stepped out into the crowd. Through the tinted windows, he could see Bruce and Betty step out of the other limo, timing it so closely that it was clear they'd been waiting for the signal.

Sharon nudged him gently. "You and Bucky should go next. That way, Sam and I can watch your backs on the way in."

Bucky nodded, leading the way out of the limo as if he wanted to get it over with. Steve followed immediately, still not letting go of Bucky's hand, and together they stepped out into a sea of flashing lights, shouting voices and photographers pressing close.

Bucky didn't look at any of them as he pushed his way through the crowd and into the restaurant, flinching only a little when one of them shoved a flashbulb directly in his face. Steve, on the other hand, made sure not to bother controlling his strength as he pushed past the man to get inside.

As soon as they'd made it into the quiet of the restaurant, Bucky glanced back. "Thanks," he murmured, the corner of his mouth quirking upward just a little. "I'm amazed you didn't leave him sprawled out flat."

Steve glared at the man, reminding himself that it would be a bad idea to go back out there and give him a good, solid punch to the nose. "I think the crowd held him upright, unfortunately."

Bruce patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I understand how you feel, but it's probably best that we don't start the evening with assault charges."

Steve nodded his thanks. "It looked like you handled the Hulk really well out there."

Bruce grimaced a little. "Mostly," he admitted. "I tried to hide it from the cameras, but I'm pretty sure my eyes flashed once or twice."

Next to him, Betty scowled. "If I hadn't been so worried about getting Bruce inside, I would have Hulked out on a few of them myself. If Tony and Pepper hadn't been out there, I don't know what I would have done."

The maître 'd, a small man who had been fluttering around Tony and Pepper like a well-dressed, upset bird, apologized for what was clearly not the first time. "I cannot _believe_ you were subjected to an entrance like that. Rest assured that I will call the police _immediately_ , and until they can come to clear up this riff raff let me get you settled into the private dining area you reserved. We can have some wine brought to you immediately...."

Tony waved a hand, cutting him off. "Don't bother with the police unless they don't clear out after we're all inside."

"And we would prefer to wait here until the rest of our party joins us," Pepper added.

Thor and Jane had come in just behind Steve and Bucky, the anger simmering on Thor's face making it clear that the photographers hadn't been nearly as careful of Jane as they should have been. Jane looked even more furious, and when Steve looked closely one of the photographers appeared to be limping immediately after she passed by him.

Bucky gave her a high five when she made it inside.

Sam, Sharon, Clint and Natasha brought up the rear, and once they were beyond the doors they got ready to begin the parade through the restaurant. Natasha's expression was a little too still to be genuine, Clint standing just a little closer to her than usual, and when he saw it Steve got mad at the photographers all over again. He glanced at Bucky, who gave him a nod of agreement, and without speaking they moved in a protective position behind them in line.

The murmuring started only seconds after they stepped into the main dining area. Only a few people seemed to be looking up at all – Tony had told them that rich people considered it even more embarrassing to be caught staring – but people were being so deliberate about the fact that they weren't looking it was just as obvious. Steve made sure to smile his old USO smile at anyone who met his eyes, knowing it would be caught on all the camera phones people were trying so hard to hide.

All of them were playing to the crowd, to a greater or lesser extent. Thor was better at it than any of them, acknowledging the other diners like the prince he still was. One woman was actually staring at him in awe, to the obvious annoyance of her husband, and when Thor smiled at her and gave a dignified nod she held a hand to her chest and nearly swooned into her soup.

When they made it back into the private dining area, the maitre d ushered them all to their seats.  "Come, come. I will bring you a few bottles of our 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape to help you relax from that horrible business outside."

"And some of the fresh-squeezed juices you use in your mixed drinks at the bar," Tony said, pulling out the chair for Pepper only moments before Bruce and Thor did the same for their significant others. When Bucky pulled out Steve's chair with a grin and a flourish, Steve just grinned back. 

"Very good, sir." The maitre d nodded, laying out delicate, seemingly handwritten menus by all of the chairs. "This is our chef's specialty list for the evening. For an appetizer, may I recommend the roasted marrow bones with—"

Clint held up a hand to interrupt him. "We'll also need some normal menus, thanks. I'm going to need some dinner options that don't involve gnawing."

The maitre d looked shocked that anyone wouldn't appreciate the glory of roasted marrow. "Sir, I assure you—"

Pepper patted his hand. "Just bring the menus, Luc. Please."

Tony nodded. "They're heathens, but they're our heathens. We should probably humor them."

The maitre d threw his hands up in the air, but returned with larger menus that looked like the same ones that the rest of the diners got. Steve scanned the menu, trying hard not to be bothered by the fact that there were no prices – thanks to decades of military back pay, he wouldn't have to worry about how much things cost ever again – and looked for something that he wouldn't regret. He'd actually liked quite a bit of the French food he'd eaten during the war....

Bucky, peering at the menu himself for a moment, leaned over to Steve. "Remind me what country pâté is," he whispered. Unless his mother had cooked it, they'd found that food-based memories generally hadn't been important enough to survive everything that had happened to them.

Steve thought for a moment, remembering the recipe of his mother's that Dernier always raved about. "Really fancy meatloaf, basically," he whispered back.

Bucky's brow lowered. He hadn't really been thrilled with the pâté back in the '40s, either. "Ah."

Sam looked up from his menu, glancing around at the rest of the group. "How uncool would I be if I asked how much any of this cost?" he asked after a moment.

Tony shook his head. "I'm buying, so don't worry about it. I'm always happy to spend a little extra if it allows me to encourage a little more hedonism among my nearest and dearest."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Only a little extra? I'm so disappointed in you, Stark."

Tony opened his mouth, expression making it clear he was about to say some variation of "bring it on," when Pepper jabbed him discreetly in the side. Seeing it, the corner of Clint's mouth quirked up. "You know she would have somehow figured out the most expensive thing on the menu, then order it just to piss you off, right?"

Pepper smiled serenely. "Order whatever you'd like, Natasha."

Carefully avoiding any recommendations from Tony, everyone eventually settled on an order. Once the maitre d had left again, they broke out the wine and poured everyone but Steve and Bucky a glass.

Thor's brow furrowed. "Do you not drink alcohol?"

Bucky shook his head. "We can drink it just fine – it just doesn't have much of an effect on us. We still have beers sometimes, for the taste, but wine just isn't worth it."

Thor nodded, understanding. "I will have to see if I can arrange to bring you both some Asgardian ale. It is a powerful spirit, and may affect you in a way Midgardian alcohol does not."

Clint and Tony looked fascinated. "Tell us more," Clint said.

Natasha looked amused. "If you think I'm letting you near anything that can make _Thor_ drunk, you are _insane_."

"And before you ask," Pepper added, looking at Tony. "I second the motion."

Steve laughed. He didn't mind – now that Bucky was back, he didn't miss getting drunk at all. "I guess that answers that question."


	11. Working Through Dinner

Tony had just glanced at his phone to check the time, the words "Isn't the food usually out by—" halfway out of his mouth, when they heard a crashing sound from the kitchen, followed by a shriek. Bucky's hand twitched toward his waist, the knife he usually wore there waiting back at the tower along with Steve's shield and Thor's hammer, while the rest of the team looked at each other.

Bruce was the first one to clear his throat. "It might be something perfectly—"

This time, he was cut off by a mix of shrieks and shouts from the dining room. Tony sighed, scrubbing a hand across his face. "Oh, _hell_."

Bucky's gut twisted. Had some vengeful HYDRA flunkie followed them here?

Steve sighed, a grim look on his face as he pushed away from the table. "Which one of us wants to do recon?"

Bucky pushed his own chair back, standing before Steve had even finished talking. "Recon's a sniper's job, Steve. You know that." Shoulders tense – he'd hoped like hell he wouldn't have to kill anybody today – he pressed a kiss against the top of Steve's head and slipped out of the room.

The hallway was clear of guards, so he stayed close against the wall as he moved to get a main view of the dining room. He could hear someone shouting now, clearly the man who had taken over the restaurant, and he listened to snatches of the diatribe about science and organic life as he moved into visual range....

And saw lines of hovering broccoli and baby carrots, circling the room like battle drones.

Bucky blinked, but the vegetables stayed stubbornly real when he opened his eyes again. A closer look showed food standing up on various people's plates as well – at one of the plates closest to him, a whole quail had risen up on its hind legs and quivered as if waiting for attack. At the front of the room, a man in a waiter's uniform was screaming at people about how they didn't appreciate their foot as he demanded people's money and other valuables. As he gestured wildly, Bucky could see the glint of something metallic beneath the cuff of his shirt.

He headed back into the private dining room. "Someone dressed like a waiter has re-animated the food and is demanding people's money," he reported, sliding the steak knife through his belt while everyone stared at him. "He might be using a device strapped to his wrist, and he used the word 'bioelectric' once or twice in the middle of the monologue."

For a few seconds, there was only silence. Then Sharon raised her hand. "When you say 're-animated foods,' do you mean—"

"Vegetables are floating in formation, the Lobster Thermidor had put itself back together and looked like it was ready to take off a woman's fingers, and the quail looked a little homicidal."

Tony narrowed his eyes, studying Bucky's face, then widened them again. "That wasn't a joke, was it?"

Bucky shook his head. "Sadly, no."

Clint just shook his head. "Comic book villains are real. Who knew?"

Steve nodded. "Not how I expected the evening to go, but clearly someone needs to take care of this." He pushed himself to his feet, already firmly in "Captain" mode as he looked around the table. "How many of us do you think we'll need?"

Thor stood up as well. "I will go. Vegetables do not seem like a formidable enemy."

As if they'd been waiting for a line like that, the screams started again.

This time, everyone raced into the hallway, only to hear the sounds of someone choking and a terrified woman pleading for them to stop. They looked at each other and started to move as one, but Bucky stopped them when he could see again the broccoli floret had been yanked out of the man's throat and he was breathing again. Now that the immediate danger had passed, they couldn't lose the element of surprise until they were ready.

For the first time since he'd found himself again, Bucky wished he had a gun within arm's reach. One shot, and he could have put a stop to all of this.

Next to him, Steve shook his head. "Last time I leave my shield at home," Steve whispered.

Out in the dining room, the waiter actually threw his head back and cackled. "See?" he  shouted as people began pulling out their wallets and purses. "Vegetables are more dangerous than you could have ever imagined. You need to respect them!"

"And you need to find someone to write you better dialogue," Tony muttered under his breath.

Jane peered around Bucky's arm, then turned back to Bruce and Betty. "He's probably tapping into the earth's electromagnetic fields and using them to re-activate the..."

"...bioelectricalmagnetic pathways of the once living organisms," Betty finished. "That would explain why things like the rolls and pasta aren't moving."

Bruce turned to Tony. "The device Bucky said he was wearing on his arm is probably producing waves of electromagnetic radiation that he's using to manipulate the food. If that's true, there's a chance—"

"We could shut it down remotely, or at least shut it down. On it." Tony whipped out his phone, and the three other scientists immediately circled around him offering various whispered suggestions.

"While they're doing that, we need someone distracting the enemy so he has something to focus on other than the hostages," Steve said, keeping his voice low. "Thor and I will take care of that, while the rest of you circle around out of his immediate line of sight. Take him out if you get the chance, and until then do what you can to get the hostages out of the way."

Bucky nodded, feeling the coolness of battle settle over him as he analyzed the layout he'd automatically memorized on the way in. "There's another entrance to the kitchen just on the other side of the hallway. We go through there, we'll be able to come back in through the kitchen and any of the outside entrances."

Sharon pointed to the group huddled over the phone screen. "I'll stay here, make sure an army of snails in cream sauce doesn't come take this group hostage."

Natasha handed Sharon something as Pepper kicked off her heels. "I'll go with Bucky's group. It will give Sharon one less person to protect, and I can focus on the hostages while the rest of you worry about unarmed combat."

Steve nodded. "Watch your mouths. The food seems like a ridiculous weapon, but we've just seen there's at least one way they can kill."

He squeezed Bucky's shoulder, then turned to stride into the dining area. Bucky led the group in the opposite direction, silently pushing open the door to the kitchen. The place was a wreck, the freezer doors burst open on their hinges and shattered plates everywhere, but what food there was didn't seem to be up and moving. There was a body in immediate view on the ground next to the freezer doors, and several more next to the cooking areas.

Sam moved past Bucky to check the nearest body. "Just unconscious," Sam reported, reaching into the man's mouth to pull out something small and green. "Though it looks like the guy tried the choking trick here, first."

They checked the rest of the bodies, all of whom were unconscious with vegetables in their mouths. It was quiet enough that, out in the kitchen, Bucky could hear Steve and Thor doing their distraction routine. "Clint, Natasha, head outside and see if you can find another access point. I'm not sure what the ventilation system looks like, but feel free to use your imagination."

Natasha nodded, moving close enough to slip something into Sam's hand and whisper in his ear, then did the same to Pepper. Finally, she slipped something into Bucky's hand. He didn't have to look to recognize the small, compact shape of one of her stingers.

When he met her eyes, she smiled. "A girl needs to have the essentials on her at all times."

Then they slipped away, and Bucky, Sam and Pepper moved to the main doors into the dining room. He caught Steve's eye through the little window, and Steve started shifting his position to put the bad guy's back more firmly towards them.

Bucky surveyed the room, then inclined his head toward the section of tables against the wall. "Sam and I will start sneaking people one or two at a time from the outside tables back into the kitchen area, where Pepper will help keep them calm and guide them out through the back to safety. The food doesn't seem like it has any kind of awareness of its own, but try to avoid touching any of it – he might be able to sense something." He turned to Pepper. "Do you know how to use the stinger?"

Pepper nodded, lips curving upward faintly. "Natasha has an interesting taste in birthday presents."

Bucky nodded back, his own mouth quirking upward just a little, then he and Sam slipped through the doors to start rescuing the hostages.


	12. Teamwork

The key to playing the distraction was to make every move as big and bold as possible. You wanted to keep the enemy's entire attention on you, be so confident that they assumed that any threat would come entirely from you. Since it was also the position that drew the most enemy fire, Steve always tried to make sure he was the one who took it.

Now, he and Thor strode into the main dining area as if they had complete command of the situation. "Miscreant!" Thor announced, his voice booming across the room far better than any megaphone. "Leave these people in peace. You have no quarrel with them."

The man whipped around to face them, eyes wide, and suddenly all of the food in the room immediately shot straight at them. Steve and Thor knocked them aside, keeping their heads down, and when the food rose back up for a second round Steve grabbed a whole thawing chicken and flung it at the bad guy's head.

His aim wasn't nearly as precise as it was with his shield – frozen meat wasn't nearly as aerodynamic – but the chicken still thunked the bad guy solidly in the chest. The man staggered backward, stunned, and the food he had been controlling froze in midair for a moment.

Instincts told him to push ahead and finish this, but there were anywhere between 12 and 13 tables full of people between them and the bad guy. That was nearly 30 people in the immediate line of fire, not to mention everyone who would be caught in the collateral damage. If they were going to do anything, they'd need to get closer.

Which meant that they needed to keep stalling, in a less violent way. "Are we done?" Steve asked, voice in full "Captain" mode. Next to him, Thor grabbed another one of the floating chickens and held it ready as a weapon.

The bad guy straightened, panic and anger chasing each other across his face. "It's _my_ decision when I'm done!" he shouted, stepping forward. Still, the food didn't start moving again, which Steve considered a sign of progress. "They didn't listen to me when I wrote my doctoral thesis, but they have to listen to me now!" He waved his arms, making the food bobble in midair, but there was still no move to attack anyone. Steve made a mental note that Bucky had probably been right about the device being on the guy's arm. "I was right!"

Thor's brow lowered. "This is not the way to tell people you were correct in this thesis you spoke of. These people know nothing of the argument, or those who spoke against you."

"Why don't you explain it to us?" Steve added, shifting sideways when he caught sight of Bucky through the little window in the kitchen doorway. Whatever they were doing, he wanted to keep them as far away from this guy's line of sight as possible. "Help us understand what these other people refused to see."

The man started into a rant heavy with scientific terms – he'd have to remember to ask Bruce or Betty about them, later – interspersed with claims of food secretly being alive. Steve nodded whenever it seemed appropriate, while behind the bad guy Bucky and Sam silently urged diners to get up out of their seats and follow them into the kitchen. Clint appeared through another doorway to do the same thing, leading whatever hostages he could outside. 

Suddenly, in the middle of a rant about food being the last remaining source of untapped energy, the bad guy trailed off and peered at Steve as if trying to remember something. "Wait, I should know you. Both of you."

"Just two concerned citizens who want to make sure none of these people get hurt," Steve said quickly.

"No, no." The man shook his head. "I know you, I just can't..." He focused on Thor, and a second later his eyes widened. "You!" He turned back to Steve. "And you! You're those Avengers!" His face contorted. "You're here to stop me!"

"Which means you're clearly a higher class of supervillain." Steve kept his voice both firm and cajoling. "They called us when the aliens attacked New York. Since we were also sent to stop you, that means you're as impressive a threat as an entire army of aliens."

That seemed to throw him. "What?"

Thor, clearly picking up on what Steve was trying to do, nodded. "I am a prince among my people. I am not called to deal with insignificant threats. The fact that I am here means that your work is being taken very seriously."

He blinked, surprise and pleasure slowly filling his expression. "I _am_ being taken seriously, aren't I?"

"You are." Steve nodded slowly, inching closer. "People are listening to your work, which means that you don't have to do this."

The man blinked, seemingly unsure, and for a moment Steve wondered if they'd actually managed to talk the man down. Then his eyes narrowed again. "Saying that I'm right isn't enough anymore! I deserve a reward!"

A huge hunk of roast arced through the air, speeding toward a terrified diner, and Steve and Thor got ready to charge the man controlling it. But then Bucky appeared and flung something toward the meat, and with a sizzle it immediately lost all momentum and crashed to the ground. The man whirled around, but Bucky had already disappeared. "Who did that?" He whipped back around to Steve and Thor. "You're tricking me, aren't you?"

"No one's tricking anyone," Steve said carefully, signaling Clint when he reappeared through the door. Clearly, they were running out of options, but a rush would be more effective with as many people as possible. "Like I said, we just don't want anyone getting hurt."

A lobster shot towards Steve, but Thor knocked it out of the air with his arm. "End this now, before there are deaths on your conscience," he said. "There is still a chance for all of us to walk away from this place."

Sam and Bucky emerged from the kitchen, and Steve signaled for them to get ready. The man, too angry right now to notice anything that was happening, threw his hands in the air as all the food in the dining room rose up. "I say _none_ of us get to walk away from—"

The rest of the sentence choked into silence when all the food in the room suddenly fell out of the air and crashed to the ground. The man stared at it, stunned, when Natasha dropped down from her perch on the artistically spare rafters and jammed one of her stingers against his neck. When he dropped, immediately unconscious, she let him go and flipped herself upright again. "Everyone okay?" she asked, looking around. Pepper emerged from the kitchen, trailed by a few of the hostages who had apparently stayed nearby.

At that point, Tony and the rest of the science crew poked their heads in from the hallway. "Guys, we've proven we can hack biotechnology with a smartphone and the combined power of our brains," Tony announced, nodding his head in satisfaction. "We are _awesome._ "

For a few heartbeats, there was only silence. Then everyone left in the dining room suddenly burst into furious applause.

Pepper had found the maitre d at some point, and when they brought him around he insisted the team stay so the kitchen could whip up the most fabulous meal they could manage. They said yes – he looked so hopeful it would have been cruel not to agree – and Tony even managed to restrain his whining about being hungry until the man was completely out of earshot.

In the end, though, the time passed more quickly than they'd expected, since the diners who had wandered back in were suddenly no longer worried about acting cool and uninterested. Everyone on the team was swarmed by people, including Pepper, Betty, Jane and Sharon, and the wait for dinner flew by in a haze of autographs, handshakes, hugs and a few people who simply burst into relieved tears.

It was nice, having everyone so obviously appreciate what they'd done, but Steve's favorite moment had nothing to do with any of the people who had come up to him. When the crowds had first gathered Bucky had tried to do a quick fade back into the kitchen, too far away for Steve to drag him back for his own good.

An older gentleman, however, was more than happy to do it for him, catching Bucky by the metal hand and giving it a firm, hearty shake. His wife then came forward and threw her arms around Bucky, leaving the man he loved standing there wide-eyed for a moment as if he couldn't believe this was happening. It took three more people, doing almost the same thing, for Bucky to stop looking so surprised.

When the food came, Steve had already started sketching the scene on a page one of the waiters had given him from her little notebook. Bucky leaned over to get a closer look, then sighed. "Seriously?" he murmured, the corners of his mouth curving upward just a little.

Steve just smiled and kept drawing.


	13. Dancing the Night Away

Dinner turned out to be more crowded than Bucky had expected. Everyone wanted to eat with the team, to the point that a group of diners actually rearranged the tables themselves so the team could eat together in the main dining room. It wasn’t quite as “safe” an environment as the private room would have been – so many questions, so many casual touches – but after enough people had smiled and called him “hero,” Bucky found it hard to argue. The maitre d, who insisted on giving them all their meals for free, kept stopping by to check on them during the process of trying to get the restaurant cleaned up. When the team offered to help, he waved them back into their seats.

A reporter from the New York Daily Herald and a few from the local TV stations showed up, but the other diners intercepted them at the door so they wouldn’t bother the team. He caught a few camera flashes out of the corner of his eye, but Bucky reminded himself that they weren't taking pictures of anything he didn't want people to see.

After hearing about the trouble they’d run into on the way in, several of the couples insisted on following them outside as a sort of honor guard. It was slightly ridiculous how touched Bucky was by the gesture, and he was happy to add his applause to everyone else’s when one of the women gave a photographer a good, hard slap.

Still, it was a relief to get back to the relative privacy of the limo. Tony, seeing some of that in his expression, signaled to the driver to stay where he was for the moment. “We can call it a night, you know,” he said casually, pretending to look at everyone even though Bucky knew who the question was really directed at. “Stopping a ridiculous villain and getting our due from the suitably grateful public would be a full evening for anyone, and though it’s slightly more exciting than my original itinerary I’m happy to take full credit for it.”

No one in the limo seemed disappointed by the idea, and Steve squeezed his leg in a silent reminder that whatever Bucky needed to do was okay. It was sweet of them, but unless he was in the middle of some full-blown flashback he didn’t need to be taken care of like this anymore. He was going to marry Captain America – he had damn well better be able to handle a night of Avengers-style craziness.

So he leaned back against the seat, stretching his legs out so he looked as indulgently relaxed as possible. “You promised to take me out dancing, Stark.” He shot the other man a smirk. “I know you’re getting on in years, but I’m not done with my night.”

Tony smirked back, amusement lighting his eyes. “So says the man who qualified for social security a few decades ago.”

 Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Hey, that just makes it that much more embarrassing that you can’t keep up.”

There weren’t any photographers waiting outside the supper club, which was even more of a relief. Tony explained that the place wasn’t expensive or busy enough for them to congregate there naturally, and the ones in front of the restaurant had been scared off from following us.

“I think I heard one of the little old ladies threaten to sue them so thoroughly their unborn grandchildren would still be paying off the settlement,” he said, handing his card to the doorman to pay for their entrance fees. “It was beautiful. I’m probably going to have to steal it at some point.”

“People are usually threatening _you_ with lawsuits,” Pepper corrected, looking amused. “Not the other way around.”

Tony considered this, then nodded. “That’s true.” He turned to the rest of the crowd. “Any of the rest of you want it?”

Thor nodded. “Midgardian lawyers do seem to be truly fearsome warriors.”

Jane patted him on the arm. “That’s one word for it.”

The club was warm, low lit, and had live music pouring from the stage. Bucky didn’t recognize the song – he still didn’t recognize a lot of songs, no matter how hard Sam and Steve had tried to catch him up – but the rhythm was good enough that it would be easy to dance to.

Even better, no one paid much attention to their arrival. It wasn’t the deliberate looking away, like it had been when they’d first walked into the restaurant, but more like the people here considered dancing far more important than people watching. For a moment, they weren’t the big news of the day. They weren’t even heroes.

They were just friends, enjoying a night out with the people they loved.

Everyone dragged each other out onto the dance floor, moving to the music with varying degrees of skill and enthusiasm. Clint actually appeared to be a lot better than Natasha had made it sound, but since she was about a hundred times better it didn’t seem that way at first. Sam and Sharon were pretty good as well, twisting around each other as their feet wove back and forth, but the other three couples were mostly just holding onto each other and moving in time to the music.

Bucky was pretty sure he and Steve could manage that.

Surprisingly, though, Steve was a little more ambitious. “This is called the two-step,” he murmured in Bucky’s ear, nudging him along through the very simple steps. “You don’t have to do much, but you can change the speed so it works with almost any song.”

Bucky felt the echo of something as he moved – he had to have danced like this before, at some point – but he shook the feeling away and focused on the moment. “You looked this up online, didn’t you?” he asked, lips curving upward.

“Absolutely.” Steve grinned. “Which is why I’m the one leading.”

“No, you’re leading because I’m a genius.” He pulled Steve just a little bit closer, flattening his hand against his back. “This way, you’re the one who has to focus on what our feet are doing, and I’m free to ogle you all night.”

Steve laughed. “Okay, you’re a genius.” He squeezed Bucky’s hand, his voice light. “You would have been even _more_ of a genius, though, if you’d actually taught me to dance back in the old days like you always said you were going to. That way, I could have remembered the steps and taught them back to you now.”

Bucky felt a vague sense of guilt, distant enough to mean that it was a memory rather than a new emotion, colored by the surprisingly clear certainty of why he’d kept putting off that particular promise. “Didn’t think I could risk it,” he admitted, hoping that the old him felt some relief at letting go of that particular secret. “You were oblivious, but if we got this close I was afraid that even you would’ve been able to pick up on how I felt about you.”

Steve stopped dancing, pulling back enough to stare at Bucky. “Really?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “One of these days, you’ll have to stop being so surprised to find out I was nuts about you back then. You think you’d have gotten the message by this point.”

Steve made a frustrated sound as he pulled Bucky close and started them moving again. After a moment, he leaned close. “I wish I’d seen it,” he murmured in his ear. “I wish I’d seen any of it.”

Bucky pressed a kiss against his cheek. “What good would it have done?”

“It would have given you more time to do things like that, for one thing.” Steve sighed. “And it would have given me the chance to kiss you right back.”

Bucky couldn’t even fathom a world where he’d have been brave enough to say something, back in the old days, and Steve had leapt into his arms instead of gutting him with the gentlest let-down talk in history. Everything would have changed. Or nothing would have.

Either way, he was fine leaving the past the way it was. Even with all the hell that happened to him, with everything he lost, he wouldn’t risk where he was now for anything.

“Well, we have plenty of time to do it now.” He moved back just enough that he was nose-to-nose with Steve. “I’ve heard engaged people are supposed to kiss all the time, and generally be so sappy that it drives their friends nuts.”

Steve grinned. “Well, we’re certainly managing the second part.”

“And we could get started on the first, if you weren’t so busy talking.” Bucky grinned back. “So shut up, Rogers, and kiss your fiancé.”

Steve was more than happy to oblige, wrapping his arms around Bucky as they both forgot about dancing entirely.

No one seemed to mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my weekly posts and original short fiction on my [blog](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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